Published 7:02 am, Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The K-9 unit from the Marshall Formby/J.B. Wheeler Unit Complex last week did what they do best - search and rescue - and helped save a man's life.

Sgt. Chad Diepenhorst, the community service supervisor of the prison complex's K-9 unit, said the crew responded to a call Thursday in Briscoe County concerning a missing 41-year-old man believed to be suicidal.

The call stated that the man, who Diepenhorst thinks is from Shallowater, had texted his wife, stating he was going to kill himself. She, in turn, notified authorities.

Law enforcement officials found the man's vehicle east of Silverton on Highway 526 at a roadside park.

The K-9 unit responded to the park with their primary search dog, a 7-year-old bloodhound named Flash, and his handler, Joe Castillo. Also on the scene were Lumpy, the unit's other bloodhound, and assistant handler Huriel Gallegos.

Diepenhorst said they were able to get the man's scent off the gearshift of his vehicle by wiping it with sterile gauze.

With that scent fresh in his nose, Flash immediately began leading officials into the canyon about 400 yards from where the car was found. Along the way, handlers found footprints that proved they were headed in the right direction.

Flash led officials to a washout at the bottom of a canyon near a cliff - with an 80-foot drop. When officials looked down the drop they saw a tree hanging off the side. Tied to the tree was a rope that was tied to the man's neck.

"He heard us coming and let himself off the cliff," Diepenhorst said. "He was holding onto the tree and let go when he saw the search party."

Diepenhorst said Castillo immediately threw him Flash's leash and, with the help of Gallegos and a state trooper, hoisted the man, who was unresponsive at the time, back onto the ledge.

"The ground was at an incline and they were lying on their bellies to pull him up over the side of the cliff," Diepenhorst said. "I was scared to death all four of them were going over the side of the cliff."

The men cut the rope from the tree, and when they couldn't untie the knot, cut that from the man's neck as well. As soon as the knot was cut, the man began breathing on his own.

The man, who had an outstanding felony warrant, was treated by paramedics before he was released into the custody of the Briscoe County Sheriff's Office.

"This search was executed perfectly," said Diepenhorst, adding that it took Flash 18 minutes from when they started searching to find the man. "We've had some good chases, but not like this. If you have to order a perfect chase with the danger involved and response time, this was textbook. The two handlers just dove in there without any hesitation whatsoever.

"This was exciting for the dog and everybody involved. This is how the K-9 program works."

He mentioned that on average the unit receives about 6-7 calls a year.

Most recently they helped in cases that included a missing Hale Center man, an escapee from the Swisher County jail and a search for a robbery suspect in Plainview.

When they aren't out on a call, the dogs remain in training.

Besides the two canines on duty, Castillo and Gallegos also are training two young pups.

Eighteen-week-old Jeep and 14-week-old Zealous are working their way up the ladder. However, they likely won't be used during a real call until they're close to 2 years old.

Diepenhorst said the dogs in this unit are scent-specific dogs, meaning they are trained to follow a specific person's scent.

Currently, the pair of pups are being trained to follow their handler's smell and learning voice commands.

"What's important to know about our program is that we're available to law enforcement officials 24/7," Diepenhorst said.

(Contact Deborah Zacher at dzacher@hearstnp.com or 806-296-1360. Become her fan on Facebook.)